A New Beginning For An Unfinished Past
by LadyJelly
Summary: Determined to prove her independence to her father, Rikku realizes she has taken on more than she can handle. As savior to Rikku during her greatest time of need, who other than the over-protective Gippal will come to her rescue?..!
1. The Calm Before The Storm

The comforting crunch of the gravel under her boots slowed the panic and chaos that wirled in her every thought. Walking away from the Besaid temple, Rikku began to regret leaving her Pop's house on Bikinel Island.. "Yunie's

not here..What am I going to do now?.." She thought to herself. The Boat had brought her as far as Besaid Island but the man informed her that he was unable to bring her back at this time of the night. She looked up from the

hood of the whitemage robe she had snatched before leaving. Heavy rain disturbed the calm waters that surrounded the Island. She had no idea what time it could be but by the reflection of the moon on the dark water it had

to be close to midnight. She pulled the thick hood back over her face, listening to the loud tapping of the raindrops against the heavy cloth. She couldn't see more than 4 feet in front of her through the sheets of rain and

suffocating darkness. Only the cool breeze that blew against her cheek kept her from hyperventilating. How did this fight with Pop and Brother even start?... "As if it matters now.." she thought to herself. She had to prove she

wasn't completely dependent on them..After Cid had teased her of being a poor excuse for a guardian she felt obligated to prove him wrong. After some great effort, she managed to focus on coming up with a place to stay for

the night. Lulu and Wakka had moved to Bevelle to accompany Wakka's new Guardian job for New Yevon. He tried to turn the offer down but after the Praetor had informed him of the dangers it could bring to his family if New

Yevon were to fall, he wasn't slow to oblige. Especially since his 2 year old son Emorie was a new variable in his decisions. The closest shelter she managed to think of was the cave down by the coast. She vaguely remembered

the Gullwings had entered there in search of a sphere Wakka had told them about. She ALSO remembered the terrifying Fiend that had barred their path within its depths. She shuttered at the thought of stepping foot in there

again.

The eerie sound of a stick snapping 10 yards behind her warned her that she was being followed. Her heart jolted into a sprint as she turned around to view her pursuer. The Gullwings had made several enemies throughout

their journeys so it didn't come to a surprise to her that she wasn't completely safe walking around late at night by herself. She looked unseeingly into the night, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of a dark silhouette that

lurched behind her, moving much too fast for her to focus on. "W-w-whose there?" She demanded feebly. Out of nowhere a pair of ice-cold hands whipped out from behind her, one clenching her arms at her sides in an iron grip,

and another that clasped tightly over her mouth. She thrashed against the grasp of the dark figure that restrained her attempting to scream. The sounds of it were lost, muffled by the hand, seemingly mute against the howling

wind and rain. The last thing she heard was an authoritative voice bringing to her attention that her attacker was not alone. "Subdue her quick!" The voice hollered. Before she could react or begin to comprehend what the

strong voice had commanded of the other, a quick blow to the back of her head silenced everything.

Unaware of her surroundings, Rikku slowly began to regain consciousness. The first thing that came to her attention was the throbbing ache at the back of her head. The second was the sounds coming from around her. One,

easily detected, was the echoing sound of what must be the storm. Loud winds whistling and rain falling around her, tapping against her face slowly seeped into her consciousness as she regained her hearing. The second was

a lot harder to focus on. Something that sounded like struggling. The sound of muffled impacts followed by a quiet grunt caused her to realize with panic that she wasn't alone. Unsure if her impaired sight was a result of her not

completely regaining her consciousness or if it was just too dark for her eyes to focus, she reached her hands out shielding her face from whatever stalked towards her. The footsteps, along with the sound of a man panting

grew louder with it's proximity. "Stay back!" She shrieked in a high-pitched voice, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling her knees into her chest in attempt to protect herself from the pain she knew was coming. She became

aware of aches and soreness throughout her legs as she moved them. She knew the person was right on top of her now because the drops of rain that had been splashing over her face stopped, shielded by the attackers

broad frame.


	2. Waking Up

"Rikku?" A familiar but gruff voice spoke with vague recognition sounding full of anguish and concern. This had not been at all what she expected. Disoriented, she forced her eyes open looking up at the dark face. Only able to

see the silhouette of a person's head leaning over her, she became aware of her orientation. She was laying on the ground, propped up slightly against a tree. This new information was echoed by the ache of the hard roots

against her back. The bright moonlight highlighted the spikey wet strands of hair that belonged to the familiar stranger who had said her name. With intentional gentleness the voice spoke again slowly, treating each word as if

it were it's own sentence. "I'm not.. going to hurt you. You're safe now, I've got you"

Safe? The enigmatic word replayed in her thoughts like an echo. Can I trust this person? She questioned herself still weak with the heavy fog that threatened to bring her back into unconsciousness. Despite her uncertainty, her

legs relaxed at the mans words. The image of the man standing over her blurred and darkened as she felt herself slowly slipping under again. "You're hurt!" The voice said repulsed with a hint of anger before slowly fading out.

The only things she could recall after that were the sequences of rain hitting her cheeks and then stopping again as the figure worked over her diligently.

When she awoke again it was dark and startlingly quiet in comparison to her violent nightmares. Her first thought was that she had died. Her sharp senses and attuned hearing disproved that possibility. The hard ground

underneath her had been replaced by something much softer now. A bed?... "where am I..?" she thought to herself. Reaching for anything in the darkness, the first thing her hand encountered was a blanket..the second she

couldn't quite identify. Hard and warm, she traced her hand over it curiously. Her heart stopped suddenly when her exploring hand was matched with a shifting and a quiet groan. A warm hand clasped over her wrist and she

jerked back letting out a an ear-piercing scream. The bed under her shook violently for a moment before a bright light flooded her eyes. "What the hell is going on!..?" The familiar man's voice exclaimed obviously startled awake

by her scream. Sitting up, she took in her environment with panicked eyes. Squinting against the brightness, the first thing she noticed was the man in front of her. He was half laying in the bed next to her and now held her

wrist in his strong hand against his chest. After a few long seconds, the stranger's face clicked in her head. "G-Gippal?" She stuttered with a shaking voice. Suddenly remembering Rikku had no idea what had happened, he freed

her hand from his which had instinctively tightened around her wrist from shock. "W-what are you doing! Sicko!" she shrieked and quickly got out of bed. "Hey! It's not whatever you're thinking!" He insisted defensively. He stood

up quickly holding his hands out for her but catching himself before doing so. "Look I really think you should lay down right now you're in no condition to be walking around." he said sternly. "I will leave if you want but I'll feel

much better once you're resting" "I'm fine..you big meanie..." As if to contradict her words, she swayed dizzily momentarily losing her balance. The room shifted and her feet suddenly felt as though they weren't pushing against

the ground any longer. Gippal's arms were immediately around her despite her protests."Hey..." His voice was soft and warm. "You've lost a lot of blood...don't do this" He whispered. She shook her head stubbornly but she felt

too weak to argue. He walked her slowly back to the bed and she sat obediently. "Gippal...?" She tried to say, her voice growing quieter from exhaustion and confusion. "What's wrong?" He replied sitting at the bottom of the

bed measuring her expression. Just as she was about to ask a question she stopped herself realizing she already knew the answer. She instead chose a question that would be easier to answer.."How long have I been

asleep?"

..Something about this question seemed to embarrass him a little. "You've been asleep for about four days.."


	3. Remembering

"FOUR DAYS?" She almost shouted. "How was I asleep so long? What time is it?"

"Easy!" He said trying to calm her. "We had to drug you sort of...You needed time to heal...it's 1:00 in the morning.." He looked down slightly almost as if he were ashamed of what he had done. She let it go and decided to ask a

different question. "Where did you find me?"

He looked away out the window for a long moment before answering. Rikku finally started to notice her surroundings. She was in a small room with a medium sized bed covered in a red and gold blanket. A golden light glowed

from the floor through a window that seemed to be made out of stained glass. The walls were covered with shelves of books and maps and letters. A faint sweet smell lingered in the air and clung to the blankets and her

clothes. It was the soft musky sweet smell that she had remembered when Gippal had helped her keep her balance. On the ceiling was a similar colorful glass machina light. A combination of pink orange red and gold gave the

room a warm fire-like glow. Was this his house? Rikku wondered. She had known Gippal almost all of her life. Not now of course, but they had met when she was 7. He had been 10 at the time. He was now 21 years old. Their

parents were good friends. Rikku and Gippal had played together as children until they were old enough to take on responsibilities. Rikku had always admired Gippal's knowledge of machina, however the Yevon teachings had

not allowed her, as guardian of her best friend, to befriend a wielder of extensive machina. Now that the teachings were rarely enforced she supposed there was no crime in their friendship. However, the two of them had

changed and grown so far apart she didn't know him much at all anymore. His familiar blonde hair with soft spikes, his sparkling white teeth in perfect contrast with his tanned skin were all masked behind several new changes.

For one he was much taller than her now. When she stood next to him he must have been at least 9 inches taller. His friendly boyish face had been replaced with a hardened more masculine appearance. His shoulders too

broad, his arms too strong to be the young boy she had once known. A black eye patch now covered his right eye, no doubt from a battle accident. However, even with all these differences that might make him appear to be

intimidating or frightening to other girls, he was really quite attractive she thought to herself.

Finally looking back into her eyes, Gippal tried to find the words to answer her question. He spoke carefully and slowly, frightened she might go into shock with too much stress. "I had been out scavenging for parts in the Bikinel

Desert...I was heading home after a long day of work..I was surprised to find anyone else out that late at night..I knew they must have been up to no good..I found you..at the D'jose pass.." he paused for a few seconds,

looking back out the window before continuing. "I saw them carrying a girl..three men.." His voice sounded pained. "It looked as though they worked for the Youth league...I overheard them say something about tossing the

body into the ravine...I had to stop them..If I had any idea it had been you-" He didn't finish. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that he clenched his fists tightly, the muscles standing out against the tan smooth skin of his

forearm. Rikku gulped, chilled by his intensity. She clasped and unclasped her hands patiently waiting in silence. He looked back at her face, his eyes livid. "If I had known it had been you I..I dont think I would have left them

alive.."

Rikku looked down at her boots unsure of what to say. She had felt a tremendous amount of guilt weighing down her chest for the way she had treated Gippal in the past. They had been close friends until she told him she didn't

want to see him anymore when she was 15..he was 18. She remembered that day clearly...How many times had it replayed in her thoughts? Torturing her through nightmares.

"Please dont go.." Gippal had said.. "If you leave I'm just going to find you..why does it matter what Yevon says? Lets just run away! We can get away from all of this...We don't have to be condemned...Just because we're Al

Bhed! Don't give in like this!" ..Fighting back tears as he pleaded. She spoke the words but her will was not strong. "Gip..." She uttered softly. "Just leave me alone..." The tears began to spill over her cheeks and her throat felt

tight. Her stomach felt sick and her knees weak. "We can't be friends anymore!" She cried out throwing her fists at him in hopes that he would leave. He just grabbed onto her wrists without saying a word. Looking into her

eyes. The last thing he said to her that day had been: "I will leave you be...I'll go ..for you Rikku...Not for Yevon.."


	4. Guilt

She felt a lump in the back of her throat as she played the scene over again in her head. Gippal had always been there for her..He had always helped her. He never deserved any of the cruel things she did or said to him. She felt

awful. It was heartbreaking to look into his eyes that day. The day that she had ripped her hands out of his. It tormented her for years..The hurt look on his face. She thought about all the times Gippal had been there for

her...When she found out her Cousin, and best friend, Yuna, was becoming a summoner..He had stayed up with her all night as she cried. He Had protected her when he was 17..She had gone to a party at Kilika Porte with a

couple older guys. She was 14 at the time. She was determined to prove to Gippal that she could take care of herself. She didn't like the way that he was always so over protective of her.. He made her feel like a child. Especially

the way he used to tease her about being "Cid's little girl" She didn't like the way her friends teased her about being his pet. He was 3 years older than her and she wanted to have fun with guys her own age.

Of course she didn't realize it but the drinks they had been handing out that night were spiked...A pathetic attempt by the guys to get the girls in bed.. Gippal was worried.. he knew Rikku ..He knew she had always been the

type to jump into something before thinking about it. He arrived somewhere around 10:00..when she wasn't at the party he panicked. He finally came across a guy trying to have his way with a drunk girl in the Kilika woods. He

could hear her crying for him to let her go. Turns out it was Rikku...She was trying to fight him off but she could hardly even stand up without his hands pinning her against the big tree. She didn't remember much from that

night...She just remembered Gippal showing up and carrying her home. Gippal had been really sweet about the whole thing..He never tried to rub it in her face. In fact he never brought it up again..He had stayed with her all

night like she had begged him to when she was afraid..He had let her wear his big warm t-shirt when her's was covered in dirt and punch. He even wiped away the dried tears from her cheeks with a warm washcloth... She

realized with anguish that she had never thanked him for taking care of her the way he did..for looking out for her in all her crazy ideas. In fact, he had even been severely hurt one time..She had dared Gippal to go up to a really

big guy in Luca and punch him in the face when she was really mad at him..She had told him she would never talk to him again if he didn't...and so he did...She had cried and held his head against her chest telling him she was so

sorry after the guy had broken his jaw...She had been so cruel..and yet he never held it against her..He knew she felt guilty about it..he never brought that up again either...But she wanted to make it up to him...She never did of

course...Maybe her removing him from her life was her thanks to him.. Regardless of their past..regardless of her carelessness...here he was again..taking care of her as he always had.

"Rikku?" Gippal asked sounding concerned. "Hmm?" was her reply. She didn't want him to see the emotional agony she was in. "I wont ask you what happened...but If you need a place to stay for a while you are always

welcome here." She simply nodded. Thank him! She thought to herself. Say something Rikku thank him! You owe him at least that much! .. She bit her lip nervously. He seemed to notice this and he began to stand up to leave.

Maybe she needs some time alone, he thought. But just as he was about to leave she grabbed onto his hand nervously. "w-wait!" She didn't know just how to thank him yet..but now her time was up and he was looking down

at her, waiting for her to say something. She let go of his hand blushing. You don't deserve to touch him, she thought to herself. "I'm sorry" was all she could manage. He seemed shocked, not sure what to say. "Its fine. I

mean..of course its alright I just-..." He looked away rubbing his hand against the back of his neck obviously feeling embarrassed himself by the sudden awkward atmosphere. "so..you're alright then? I mean you don't need

anything?...argh.." He looked back down at her apologetically "What I mean to say is..if you need anything at all.. i'll be right around the corner on the couch..so let me know if you do, kay?" She noticed that his cheeks were

slightly pink too. "Thank you" she finally managed to say quietly looking back down at her hands. "Mm." He muttered back nodding his head. His own way of saying: "You don't have to thank me..I've done nothing worth your

thanks." She could see out of the corner of her eye that he hung in the room a minute longer than he needed to, watching her carefully with that familiar protective look in those unforgettable green eyes she used to knew so

well. It wasn't until she heard him close the door behind himself that she let her breath out.. She looked around the room again slowly picking up smaller details she missed the first time. A small picture of him with his arm

wrapped around her shoulders sat propped up on his desk. Both of their faces, so young, mirrored each other's with their smiles. She sighed deeply and rested her head on Gippal's pillow, pulling the blankets up around her. She

wished she could have told him to sleep on his bed..That she would take the couch, but she knew Gippal far too well...She knew that would be an absolute impossibility with him.. and that proposing such a "ridiculous idea"

would only upset him. It didn't take her long to fall asleep that night. After all, sleeping so much can be exhausting.


	5. Warmth

When she woke up in the morning a warm new light shined through the big windows that took up almost the whole west wall. They somehow managed to escaped her attention last night. She sat up from bed realizing for the

first time what she was wearing. A large light gray t shirt covered her usual khaki skirt and yellow bikini top. Sure such a skimpy outfit would be something that would cause talk for any other race, but everyone knew the Al Bhed

spent all of their time out in the desert in the blistering heat. Anything more under their desert robes would be sweltering hot. She got up from the bed, stepping quietly in case Gippal might be still asleep in the other room. She

looked at herself briefly in the small mirror that hung on the wall. At first she hardly recognized herself. The person who stood in front of her looked far too terrifying to be Rikku. Her body looked too frail...her usual thinness was

intensified to the extreme, most likely from not eating much the past few days..her fingers and wrists looked very breakable...A dark purplish bruise hung under her left eye, followed by two small cuts on her upper cheek. Her

tanned skin somehow seemed sallow now. It was obvious that the four days in bed had taken a toll on her. Her usually long straight blonde hair was crimped in unusual waves from the rain and so much sleep. Under her green

eyes there were slight dark circles, making the bruise stand out to an extreme. Remembering the night she arrived here, she instinctively felt the back of her head with her hand. A small bump still remained there. She guessed it

had been a lot bigger before..it must have been going away. However, the pain was still unbearable when touched. "Ouchhh" She said out loud clenching her teeth together. She stretched her arms and legs estimating the

damage done to her by the different aches and pains as her body protested. A Sharp pain from her ribs warned her not to expand her lungs fully. She attributed the fact that these pains were worse than last night to the fact

that the drugs had probably still been in her system then. They must have worn off by now but but her head somehow still felt groggy. "Its a good thing Gippal knows how to treat wounds.." she thought to herself.. As the

leader of the Machine Faction she was sure he must have seen much more gruesome injuries than hers. She lifted up her shirt curiously and noticed a white bandage covering just below her breasts. For a second she planned to

look under it but a stinging pain warned her that she better not touch it. Besides the bandage there were several bruises covering her chest and ribs. Had Gippal seen this? She felt her face getting hot as she imagined his

warm, gentle hands wrapping the bandages around her ribs. She immediately shook that image out of her head and quietly walked up to the door. She slowly pushed it open peaking her head out around the corner looking for

Gippal. He wasn't there. When she saw the couch that he had slept on she mentally kicked herself for not fighting the idea of her stealing his bed. It was much too small for him and didn't look very comfy. More guilt washed over

her. She made a promise to herself that she would be on her best behavior for him today. She owed him at least that much. When she stepped out into the bright living room a sweet smell like fruit and honey hit her senses. Her

stomach automatically growled in response and she followed the scent to what must have been Gippals kitchen. It was filled with so many complicated looking machina. Another big window allowed light to splash color onto the

walls just as in the other rooms. A round glass table sat in front of the window covered in an array of different colorful fruits. Some of them she had only seen a couple times in her entire life. They were very hard to find. Often

too many fiends populated the forests for people to venture far enough into their depths to find the fruit. Next to the fruit was a cooked meal much too big for Rikku to eat. Most of the foods she had never seen before except for

the sweet honey cake. This was something the Al Bhed had quite religiously during celebrations. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a small piece of paper outlined with gold. In neat ancient script it read:

Rikku,

Bmayca ayd y kuut pnaygvycd, E's cina oui yna jano rihkno. Ev oui yna naytehk drec nekrd huf, E's yd dra D'Jose Dasbma. Bmayca cdyo ev oui fuimt..Ed femm ayca so funnoehk knaydmo. Pa rusa cuuh. Bmayca pa cyva.

-Gippal

Translation: Eat a good breakfast. At the D'Jose temple. Please stay if you would.. Be safe. -Gippal.

Rikku obeyed and ate some fruit. She didn't want to eat too much because too much food all of a sudden would cause her to get sick. After eating she decided it would be a good idea to go for a walk. The sunlight would make

her feel much better and she wanted to move around. She found her cyan and white boots next to a pair of Gippals work boots. She stuck her feet in them not bothering to lace them and opened the front door. The location was

not what she had expected. Gippals house was right down the road from the D'jose Temple. His House was white and the shape of it resembled a small temple of its own. The large glass windows were shaped like diamonds

that glistened in the sunlight. It was all concealed well by a row of trees. She was disappointed that it had been here all along and she had never noticed it before. Making her way out of the trees she began to walk towards

the sparkling water that surrounded much of D'jose. It was all so beautiful. Everything seemed so bright..brighter than usual. Rikku loved the sun. She sat on top of a rock and tilted her head back letting the sunlight warm her

face. She spread her hair out over her shoulders hoping to warm it as well. The vitamin D seemed to instantly give her more energy. The sounds of the calm trickling water and the singing birds reminded her of her childhood

when she would play with Yuna on beach of Besaid. "I really wish you would allow me to escort you if you have someplace you would like to go" Rikku jumped nearly falling off the rock at the sound of Gippal's voice so close

behind her. She caught herself in time but he held his hands out for her incase she were to lose her balance again. His familiar laugh filled the air around them. He was obviously in a good mood. She scowled at him through

squinted eyes for a moment but then started to laugh at herself too. She grinned up at him as pleasantly as she could manage, remembering her earlier promise to be on her best behavior. "You're looking much better today" He

commented returning her smile easily. She grimaced slightly at that impossibility. "THIS is better?" She asked feeling a little embarrassed. She could tell it took him some effort to keep the smile on his face, but his eyes were

sober. "Yeah Rikks you were hideous!" He teased her lightly laughing some more. Behind the joke she knew he meant what he said. She must have been a mess. He kneeled down by her side so that he was eye level with her.

His voice was smooth and sweet like honey and his eyes were friendly, warm. "I really would feel much better if you would let me accompany you if you are going to be outside though." She simply nodded. She expected this

from him. Gippal had always been one to take extreme precautions, and if she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she wanted him by her side. Not only did she miss him but she was afraid those men from the

Youth league would be after her again.. "Thank you" he said through another smile. He was obviously happy she was behaving, unlike her usual self. "For a while I was afraid you were really mad at me...because of the

whole...waking up next to me drugged thing...you know" He smiled jokingly waving his hand in the air as if it were some every day occurance. Behind his smile his eyes seemed to give off a hint of sadness. "Not at all" Rikku

replied looking down a little embarrassed. "Um..Gippal.." she found it hard to continue. "Why were you sleeping next to me..I mean you could have put me on the couch..?" She looked up at him apologetic for her question but he

could see the honest curiosity in her face. "Honestly..?" He asked looking down at his hands that were inches away from hers.. Rikku nodded. "..I didn't want you to have to wake up alone...I knew how scared you would

be..waking up in a completely different room than you expected...I didn't want you to wake up thinking you had been kidnapped by those Youth league members.." He didn't look up as he spoke. Remembering something from

their past, Rikku looked at the water in silence ..She felt guilt for yelling at him when she woke up... Guilt for having thought anything other than good things about him. "Gippal" She finally spoke. "Thank you...for always taking

care of me.. the way that you have..even after all these years..you've been nothing but nice to me...I feel rotten..rotten to my core...I'm so sorry.." she looked down feeling a wave of sadness wash over her. He was silent for a

minute until she felt his warm hand suddenly over hers. It felt nice..like the sun on her skin. She closed her eyes listening to the sounds around her once more. "Rikku.." Gippal spoke softly. She slowly turned to look at him,

startled by the intensity of his expression. His eyes smoldered staring deeply into hers. She couldn't do anything, she couldn't look away or think or breathe, she was like a chocobo caught in the headlights. He slowly leaned

close until she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "Don't you ever...regret the times we've had together...not one..not even the bad..okay?" No longer able to keep the sadness off her face, she just stared back into his eyes

helplessly. Carefully she lifted her hand and placed in over his heart. He held her hand there with his and rested his forehead against hers, both of their eyes closed. "Please..don't run away again.." he begged softly "I can't

bare to lose you like before...please don't go." She kept still just listening to him breath, wishing she could promise him she wouldn't. Under their hands, she could feel his heart beating strongly. The warmth of his chest and his

hand burned like the sun against hers. He pulled his face back so that he could see her expression. She kept still with her eyes closed, the small braids in her hair fell slowly hanging around her face like a curtain, the colorful

beads clacking together.

He lifted her hand from his chest and placed it over his cheek. His face felt smooth, his skin warm and his jaw strong. She lifted her head to look back up at him blushing and smiled reassuringly. He sighed more relaxed and

smiled back showing his perfect white teeth in the sunlight. "I was afraid I had scared you away" She simply grinned bigger and shook her head. "Lets do something fun!" she offered excitedly. "Now you're talking!" he laughed,

happy they could be themselves again like when they were younger. Rikku stood up and grabbed his hand and began to run pulling him along behind her. He stumbled at first surprised by her enthusiasm but easily kept pace

with her. She laughed skipping by his side, the beads in her hair clacking together again as she looked over at him. "Don't tell me..." He said in between his laughing. "Yup!" she said cheerfully as she pulled him over to the edge

of the water where they would always swim together when they first met. A large tree with leaves a brilliant color of jade swayed in the light breeze over the crystal clear lake. Rikku danced in front of the water happily bouncing

up and down. She had longed to swim and play with Gippal the way she had when she was 11. "Okay okay! You first!" She pointed her finger towards the water still smiling. "Hmm...I don't know about that" he rubbed his

fingers against his chin pretending to think hard. Before Rikku realized what had happened Gippal charged at her and grabbed her, pulling her over his shoulder so that her legs dangled helplessly in front of him. "GIPPAL! Don't

you dare! You big meanie! Put me down!" She kicked her feet in the air trying to escape. He walked slowly over to the water pretending to be about to throw her in laughing. "Gippal don't I'm scared its too high!" She cried out

clinging to him as tightly as she could. "Aww I'm sorry..I forgot" He seemed sincere enough so she loosened her death grip on him. He pulled her off of his shoulder and held her out in front of him cradling her like a baby. She

wrapped her arms around his neck clinging to him for dear life again. "Still too high!" she shrieked. "Rikku..." He laughed softly. "I'm not going to throw you into the water..relax" When she didn't immediately let go of him he sat

down on a patch of grass underneath the tree still holding her against him. With shocked eyes she looked up at him embarrassed. Even though it was just Gippal, she didn't feel comfortable sitting on his lap the way she was. It

seemed too ..close for her. She wanted to maintain boundaries that said "we are just friends" It didn't matter that she thought of him like a best friend. Other people wouldn't understand that when she held his hand it was just

because she missed him so much. She knew he felt the same about her as she did. At one point when they were younger she would sneak out of her window. He would stay up waiting for her with a glowing sphere on his

window sill incase she got lost. Once he saw her he would pull her into his bedroom and they would climb into bed together. It was completely innocent. Nothing romantic whatsoever. They would simply whisper in the dark and

fall asleep. At 7 Rikku had been afraid of her new bedroom since they moved to Sigelle in Bikinel Island after her mother's death...Gippal , being 10 years old, took care of her like a big brother. It had become a habit until Rikku

was 13. Rikku began to realize what was acceptable between a boy and a girl and what wasn't. When she had accidentally slipped to her friend from school about how she slept with Gippal still, the girl had asked Rikku if they

were having sex.. After that Rikku tried to explain to Gippal that she was a woman now and she wanted to sleep in her own bed. She never told him why of course, though she was sure he would agreed. Things were different

now. A girl her age couldn't sit on a boy's lap without it meaning they were more than friends.. Gippal knew this too, however, when he was with Rikku it was easy to forget. Rikku gently pushed Gippals arms off of her and stood

up facing away from him, hoping she hadn't hurt his feelings. Gippal. feeling regret, realized he had crossed the line once again. These slip ups were part of the reason Rikku was so determined to prove her independence to him

as a teenager. "I'm sorry.." Gippal said while standing up. Rikku, determined to lighten the sudden tense mood, jabbed her finger towards his chest. "You still gotta go in first!" She said through a grin. He covered his face with

his hand in mock horror but she could see him smiling underneath. "I'll get you back for this" he promised, teasing her lightly. Rikku watched him as he took off his boots and black socks exposing his bare feet. He stepped up to

the water into the sunlight and slowly pulled his shirt over his head tossing it back under the tree. Rikku stood behind him trying not to let him see the way her eyes took in his body. He had changed so much. His skin in the

sunlight looked golden tan, warm and smooth, his back strong. His arms were long and muscular, yet not at all bulky, from hard work in the desert and building heavy machina. She felt her cheeks warming up as she took in his

appearance suddenly worrying this wasn't a good idea anymore. Gippal seemed to be oblivious to Rikku's ogling as he stood looking out into the distance. He smiled, his teeth glistening like the water. He seemed to be

remembering something from when they were younger because he closed his eyes, laughing to himself quietly. Rikku pulled her t-shirt over her head too while he wasn't looking, suddenly feeling self conscious, exposing her

yellow bikini top and mini skirt that she usually wore. She hoped he wouldn't be scoping her the way she did to him, thinking about how much she's grown up in the past few years. She playfully pushed her hands against his

back attempting to move him closer to the water. He of course didn't budge until he realized what she was trying to do. He took a step forward obediently. Suddenly determined to beat him into the water like she used to, Rikku

ran past him splashing the perfect clear water up around her. He stood there for a minute surprised and suddenly burst out into laughter at her child-like appearance. The ends of her ponytail were wet, dipping into the water.

She looked up at him smiling with big excited eyes, drops of water dripping down her cheeks. "Beatcha!" She insisted playfully. Rikku danced in the water splashing and spinning around, enjoying the light mood until something in

the distance caught her attention. From far away she could see flames on the other side of the water.


	6. Burning

She heard Gippal walking up behind her into the water but she couldn't take her eyes off of the fire. From behind her, Gippal answered the unspoken question in her thoughts. "They're burning the temple down" His voice was

completely blank, merely stating a fact. Despite the nightmares the temples had once given her, they had come to hold something of a nostalgic memory to her now after guarding Yuna through her pilgrimage to all the temples

in Spira. The D'Jose temple was being burned... Rikku remembered the reoccurring dreams she had of herself becoming a Summoner with Gippal as her guardian.. She had awoken screaming in the middle of the night as they

were both killed by the final aeon every time. "The cloister of trials had become something similar to the via infinito, or far plane." He explained soberly. "Fiends were taking over..fire was their last resort" So this had been why

he was at the temple so early this morning. Before Gippal could register what had happened, Rikku took off running towards the temple, water splashing behind her. "STOP!" She cried out waving her arms in the air, hoping the

temple would hear her. She ran as fast as she could down the dirt road, people gathered around the temple to watch it burn staring at her, each one of their faces in various masks of horror and shock. "You must stop!" She

pleaded again. Several members of the Machine faction stepped in front of her blocking her path into the temple. "The Temple must burn! It's too late! Stand back!" One of the taller members warned her. She pushed past them

determined to save the temple and the memories that went with it. Just as she was about to reach the entrance, restraining arms wrapped around her like steel, preventing her from moving further. "Let me go!" She demanded,

trying to push the arms off her. "Enough Rikku!" It was Gippal's voice behind her, but she didn't care. She fought his hold just the same, her nails digging into his arms. His arms tightened around her slightly, crushing her against

his bare chest. She tried to free herself with little luck, gradually becoming weaker as the tears filled her eyes. Gippal reflexively relaxed his hold on her immediately in fear that he had hurt her. Despite how much it hurt him to do

so, he was not about to let Rikku run into a burning building. He picked her up over his shoulder as if she were a little girl throwing a tantrum and began walking her back to his house. Rikku didn't fight any longer; she curled up

against him as the sobs broke free from her chest. Before she realized it, they were in his house and he was sitting her down on his bed. "Rikku...I'm sorry.." His voice burned with sincerity and anguish. "You can hate me if you

want to, but I can't let you get hurt..you don't think things through when you're upset..please ..please don't cry" He stood next to her, unsure of what to do, his voice full of pain. "Rikku.." She burried her face in her hands,

leaning over crying. Through her sobs, Gippal could hear her voice full of defeat. "Just go.." she whispered, her voice breaking. His hand lingered in the air above her, wanting to comfort her somehow, unsure of what to do. His

hand slowly fell to his side and he left the room without another word.

A couple hours later when Rikku was able to supress her sobs, she laid down on the cool bed facing the wall, her face completely blank. She thought about the it would mean to Yuna, now that the temple was gone. The

memories they shared together when she was a Summoner, not all good, but important. Rikku had grown up with respect for the temples, regardless of her disagreement with Yevon, the temples were a part of her home—a

part of who she was. Rikku knew her anger at Gippal was misdirected. She wasn't mad at him..She was mad at the men who even considered burning the temple. Gippal was only trying to protect her, as always..Still she couldn't

bring herself to face him. Not after how she had acted today. She drifted in and out of sleep, finally waking to find the room completely dark, the house quiet. A foreboding rumble in the distance made her uneasy. Her throat dry,

she sat up from the bed. Just as she had feared, a bright flash from outside the window illuminated the room for a split second before a loud cracking sound like a bolder breaking in half echoed throughout the house. Her instinct

to take cover kicked in and she ducked onto the floor. She swallowed hard, her knees trembling. "Ohhh I hate lightning" she whimpered. Ever since she was younger when her brother had been practicing black magic one day

and his thunder spell accidentally hit Rikku instead of the fiend, she had developed a severe case of astrophobia. She slowly began to crawl over to the door when another loud crack pierced the silence. She shrieked, ducking

her head again, stopping where she was. "G-Gippalll!" She cried out in complete terror. It only took 30 seconds before Gippal rushed into the dark room scanning the room quickly for her. When he realized the bed was empty he

panicked, assuming the worst had happened. "Rikku!" He called out anxiously. She immediately crawled over to him and wrapped her arms and legs around his left leg shaking. "Gippallll" she squealed as another roll of thunder

cracked. "Rikku!" He called out in relief that she wasn't missing. "I thoughtt—you were—are you alright? Are you hurt?" he choked out. She wrapped her arms tighter around his leg, squeezing her eyes shut. After a moment it

clicked in his head what was wrong. He recalled from years ago her fear of Lightning. He chuckled once merely out of sheer relief and kneeled beside her.


End file.
